Hello. I am new to the forum, so I hope this is the correct category.
Maybe I just misunderstand something, but I used to think two IDs at species level are needed for an observation to obtain Research Grade.
But then this observation of mine obtained Research Grade with two genus-level IDs: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/219705797
So why isn’t this one Research Grade (also two genus-level IDs): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/219718029
Here a third example of an observation where one genus-level ID plus one species-level ID brought it to Research Grade: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/219708747
Can someone clarify for me?
Thanks! Tom
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Left you a comment on 1.
2 is waiting to go to sp.
3 mystifies me too. If that obs was mine, I would click yes to get more IDs.
DQA vote for - No - good as can be = RG at that taxon.
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Thanks a lot. This question has been resolved for me, then.
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Ideally you want about 3 IDs for RG, as identifiers sometimes delete their profile. With all their IDs. Then your third obs would revert to Needs ID at genus - so clicking No there is a choice I do not understand. Not my taxon, location or obs - so I will leave others to sort it out.
By default, observations become RG when there is a community consensus at species level. But for difficult taxa which may not be IDable to species level from photos, there is an option to click “ID cannot be improved” in the DQA at the bottom of the page; if the community ID is below family level, this will make the observation RG at whatever the current community ID is. It isn’t an automatic process – someone has to click it. Often people will add confirming IDs at genus level without clicking the DQA (e.g., because they think someone else might be able to provide a more specific ID, etc.).
The third one is an example of one of the more confusing aspects of iNat’s ID system – the community ID is at genus (see the sidebar), but the ID displayed for the observation is the most specific ID that has been provided (species). So although iNat displays the RG symbol at the top of the page, it is actually RG at genus and not at species level.
I don’t know the reasoning of the person who clicked “ID cannot be improved” – they may have believed it was a way to circumvent the community consensus and make the observation RG at species with only one ID. You might leave a comment asking them about their reasons.
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Third one is then more odd. Identifier has added a sp ID, but clicked No to hold it back at ‘cannot ID below Genus’ ??
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